Man attacks Dallas bar patron with large branch in unprovoked attack

DALLAS - Dallas police are looking for a man who attacked a couple with a tree branch and punched a third person at a Downtown Dallas bar. 

Adam Mercado and his girlfriend, Taylor Monnet, are thankful to be healthy enough to go for a walk.

"I hope people are aware of their surroundings," he said. "I never want this to happen to anyone again."

Mercado says what happened early Saturday morning happened so fast. 

"It was a normal Friday. We had a great date day. We were both off work and decided to have a nightcap," he recalled.

Walking into City Tavern downtown, Mercado noticed a man who looked unusual. 

"As we approached, I noticed a man holding a five or six-foot tree branch that had my Spidey senses going," he said.

Later, as they said their goodbyes to friends, Mercado was hit.

"When I felt the whack, it was as loud as a gunshot," he said.

The force knocked Mercado to the ground.

"I hit the ground in a fetal position. I had a myriad of emotions: hurt, anger, vulnerability," he said. "My head was ringing. She was crying and screaming."

As the man took off, police say he punched an employee who tried to stop him in the face.

"Never seen him. I never made eye contact with him," Mercado said. "It was seemingly a random act of violence."

Paramedics took Mercado to the hospital. He had a concussion and a contusion on his neck and was cleared to go home after a CAT scan.

Five days later, police say they are still investigating and did not indicate if they have identified a suspect.

"I'm grateful he hit me because I don't think she could have withstood that blow," Mercado said.

As a bartender, Mercado doesn't have health insurance. An online fundraiser for medical expenses has raised $9,300.

Monnet says they hope the awareness about their story will keep what happened to them from happening to someone else. 

"Maybe someone will recognize him," she said. "A family member or friend."